Talca, Chile: Resilience and Reconstruction

PROFESSOR MALO HUTSON'S RESEARCH IN CHILE

In collaboration with his fellow colleagues in Chile, Professor Hutson has been working to define and develop a three- to five-year research agenda that addresses sustainability and land use, transportation, community and economic development, public health, and housing and basic services.

To study how university-city partnerships could aid reconstruction efforts, Professor Hutson, in collaboration with the Catholic University of Maule's Center for Urban and Regional Studies (CEUT), took 10 students to Chile during the summer of 2015. The student group, which consisted of eight masters students and two undergraduate students, spent the month-long trip collecting data with CEUT researchers and evaluating possibilities for moving part of the Catholic University of Maule to more centralized areas of the City. The students additionally met with local residents, non-governmental organization leaders, and government officials as part of their research efforts.

The final studio report was completed in December 2015 and can be read here.

Currently, Professor Hutson is working with the Catholic University of Maule and the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism to develop a long-term research project focused on developing a large, integrated sustainable neighborhood and renovating existing public housing developments into healthier living spaces for residents.